China
- Religious Beliefs—China’s main religion is Buddhism.
- Social Customs—The Chinese chew betel nuts.
- Family Structure—The Chinese family structure consists of nuclear families, lineal families, joint families, and other types.
- Political Structure—China is communist.
- Currency—China’s currency is called Renminbi (RMB) which means “The People’s Currency”.
- Imports/Exports—China’s number one export is computer accessories. Their number one import is semi-conductors.
- Physical Geography—China is full of long rivers, high mountains, various basins, plains, and hills.
- Communication—The Chinese language is pinyin. The Chinese spoken language is tonal and analytic.
- Government Laws/Regulations—Advice for trying to conduct business in China is to think locally, act locally, and be aware that Chinese laws are constantly evolving.
- Workday/Hours/Holidays—A typical workday for an intern in China begins at 9:00am. A lunch break is taken from 12:00 to 1:00. The workday usually ends at around 6:00pm. Traditional Chinese holidays include the Lantern Festival, the Qing Ming, the Duan Wu Festival, the Seventh Eve, the Mid-Autumn, and the Spring Festival.
- Standard of Living—The standard of living in China is very good. They have many advanced vehicles and subways. Their subway system is cheap and efficient. The roads that they use are very well kept and maintained.
- Climate/Weather—The climate/weather of China is extremely diverse. It is tropical in the south to subarctic in the north.
- Accepted Business Practices—Don’t use large hand movements, personal contact must be avoided at all costs, do not point when speaking, don’t use your index finger, use an open palm when pointing, and it is improper to put your hand inside your mouth.